NEW YORK’S mean streets may be thousands of miles away, but North-East revelers could find a wild night out in Durham, Darlington or Newcastle ends with a ride home in a real NYPD car.

Former police officer Marc Waggitt, from Darlington, has made an arresting statement by setting up Cophire – a business which hires out an original 13th Precinct police car for weddings, proms and nights out.

Classic car enthusiast Mr Waggitt, 37, decided to bring a piece of New York’s finest to County Durham after seeing it advertised on internet auction website eBay.

The patrol car, which cost £6,500, has all its original features, including the force livery, sirens, red and white flashing roof lights, prisoner partition, search light, gun rack and internal closedcircuit television system.

The iconic vehicle, made famous in countless US television shows and films, including NYPD Blue, even has its own prisoner, plastic dummy Sid, who is handcuffed safely in the back seat.

Mr Waggitt, who used to be in Greater Manchester Police, is so fond of the car he will be taken in it to his own wedding, in August, to fiancee Sarah Thompson, 36.

The business is an ideal venture for Mr Waggitt, who is registered disabled after contracting a bonewasting disease following a fracture to his left ankle, which ended his sports coaching career seven years ago.

“It is an automatic vehicle, so it is perfect for me to drive,” he said.

“People do look at the car, but I think the glances are mostly admiring ones.

“I wanted to bring something a bit different, a bit special, to the region. I thought it had character and would give people a new experience that they normally wouldn’t get.”

In a quirky twist of fate, Mr Waggitt has been booked for the summer wedding of a police officer who proposed to his girlfriend in New York’s 13th Precinct.

“You couldn’t make that up,” he said. “The guy said to me, ‘It’s fate that you’re doing our wedding’.

“I think the car’s great – really unique – and hopefully a lot of other people will as well.”

Anyone who would like more information can visit cophire.co.uk, or call 0845-345-0239.